BWP Song Contexts

[Rose Immortal]

If this has already been discussed, do forgive me because I did try to use the search function before I posted this, and turned up nothing.

What I am curious about is, if there are any theories, or perhaps anything known for certain, about how the songs on Blackwater Park may relate to the previous albums.

For example, one I've suspected of having a pretty strong relationship to MAYH is "Bleak". Both the lyrics and the outro effect make this song seem as if it would fit well right before "Demon of the Fall"...they both seem as if they could be narrated by the same spirit from MAYH. As an example in the lyrics I notice both refer to observing the woman's suicidal desperation ("You're close to the final word" / "You keep the dagger close at hand"), as well as tons of other stuff I don't see the need to list out unless somebody asks.

I'm wondering what thoughts people have on this suggestion, and on how (or IF) other songs from Blackwater Park relate to Opeth's prior albums.

Oh...and this is NOT for an English project or anything like that. It's just my own curiosity.

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Mikael has specifically said in interviews that the songs have nothing to do with each other on BWP (or especially with other songs from previous albums), and that they are just random lyrics at times, or descriptive to show his hate towards humanity or something to that effect.

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

what the previous poster said.

also i always had the impression that bleak was about some kind of murder/rape - story.

 

[estimate]

... or descriptive to show his hate towards humanity.

Yeah! Mikael HATES humanity!

 

[Nico]

Yeah! Mikael HATES humanity!

 

[Land Of Grey And Pink]

Ive never read Opeth lyric books. Ive never taken the time to cross referance lyrics from one album in relation to another for what seems to be a pointless charade. And i think thats fantastic.

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

3 of the songs have a message that reflects Mikael's distaste in humanity, those propably being The Leper Affinity, The Funeral Portrait and Blackwater Park. Other than that there's no connections that Mikael mwant to do, but feel free to come up with some. People have been suggesting that BWP is a concept album for ages.

 

[Nico]

3 of the songs have a message that reflects Mikael's distaste in humanity, those propably being The Leper Affinity, The Funeral Portrait and Blackwater Park.

Strangely enough, those are the only three songs I find even remotely interesting on that album these days.

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

Surprising, hm? Same for me. Oh, the anti-humanity.

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

those three are easily the best ones on BWP!

 

[Rose Immortal]

Thank you for the information, guys...to save yourself further stupid questions from me, could you please recommend the best places to read interviews where he discusses what he intended with their albums?

 

[Knight of the Templar]

Even if Mikael says that the songs are not related... I'd still like to hear interpretations. I mean, that's one of the things I like about Opeth music: you can bring lots of different and valid intepretations for one song.

 

[DE]

Yeah! Mikael HATES jews!

Fixed.

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

Thank you for the information, guys...to save yourself further stupid questions from me, could you please recommend the best places to read interviews where he discusses what he intended with their albums?

I don't know if he really talks about that too much except for Still Life here, but he talks about everything else at least. A bunch of good Opeth interviews, worth a read.

http://www.mindspring.com/~raggije/INTERVIEWS.htm

 

[Rose Immortal]

Thanks...the only thing I'm wondering about is, I have heard there is a fake interview somebody with WAY too much time on their hands wrote as if it were from the time of MAYH. Any truth to that?

 

[koolboee cdmo87]

I have heard that... and I've SEEN many cases of that with other artists. Obsessed fans will make up interviews to make their idols say what they'd want them to say, people who don't like the artist(s) will make up interview to make them look bad.

 

[magicelf]

I think the reason some of the songs on Blackwater Park may seem related is because mike writes the lyrics in such a small time frame that some of his ideas and feelings may "leak" over into another songs lyrics. At Least that what i would think.

 

[RETIREDalekmangr]

i DON'T think that mikael is as extreme as you think.You make it sound as if he <<realy needs>>to express that hate.
:hotjump:

 

[Abhorsen]

I don't sense a lot of hate coming from Akerfeldt. Seems to be a fairly easy-going guy who loves the music.

 

[Rose Immortal]

i DON'T think that mikael is as extreme as you think.You make it sound as if he <<realy needs>>to express that hate.
:hotjump:

This is what I think, too...he doesn't seem like a maniac to me at all. He comes off as quite composed in the interviews I've seen from him. Of course, even an easygoing person gets frustrated with humanity...I've written my OWN share of disgruntled literature, and I consider myself a fairly empathetic person.

And magicelf--I wouldn't be surprised if there were cases where similar feelings did bleed over into other works. Even if it wasn't planned that way it can be interesting to imagine those kinds of interconnections and how they might work.